Halle Berry Says Gavin Newsom Vetoed a Vital Menopause Bill
At the New York Times DealBook Summit on Wednesday, Halle Berry criticized California governor Gavin Newsom for failing to support legislation that would have benefitted women going through menopause. “Back in my great state of California, my very own governor, Gavin Newsom, has vetoed our menopause bill, not one, but two years in a row,” she said.
Berry, who’s become an outspoken advocate for better menopausal care in the past few years, went on to say that Newsom has “overlooked women — half the population — by devaluing us in midlife,” adding that “he probably should not be our next president either.” Berry spoke strongly in support of expanding access to menopause-related care, saying that if men “had a medical condition that disrupted their sleep, brain function, and sex life, we’d be calling that a health crisis on par with COVID, and the whole world would shut down,” per Variety. “I need every woman in this country to fight with me. But the truth is, the fight isn’t just for us women. We need men too,” she added. “Because when women are struggling silently through perimenopause and menopause, trying to hold their families, careers, relationships, and communities together, it doesn’t just affect women. It affects every household. It affects the workplace. It affects the economy.”
Berry was referring to California Assembly Bill 432, also known as the Menopause Care Equity Act, which Newsom vetoed in October. The bill sought to expand insurance coverage for menopause and perimenopause medical treatment and would have required doctors to receive training for menopause-related care. Newsom also rejected a similar bill in September 2024. In October, the governor said he supported the “goal of ensuring quality care and access to evaluation and treatment of perimenopause and menopause symptoms,” but thought the proposed legislation was “too far-reaching,” arguing that it would lead to higher health-care costs. “The Legislature has twice now sent me a bill that does not strike the important, and achievable, balance between expanding access to this essential treatment and the affordability of care,” he wrote. He did, however, direct the California Health and Human Services Agency “to identify additional policy changes or investments” addressing menopause and perimenopause “as part of next year’s budget process.”
Berry has been a vocal supporter of AB 432 since it was first introduced by California assemblymember Rebecca Bauer-Kahan. In a statement announcing the bill earlier this year, Berry said the “vital legislation” would “finally address the significant inequities in menopause healthcare that women face.” She also co-authored an opinion piece for Time after Newsom rejected the legislation, arguing that its goals were, in fact, achievable and claiming the law would have a “negligible impact on insurance premiums.” “Still, it was rejected,” she wrote. “That veto represents a failure of Gov. Newsom’s commitment to women.”
In a statement to The Cut, a spokesperson for Newsom said the governor “has deep admiration for Ms. Berry’s advocacy and looks forward to working with her and other stakeholders on this critical issue” and “shares her goal of expanding access to menopause care that too many women struggle to get.” “He vetoed the bill because, as written, it would have unintentionally raised health care costs for millions of working women and working families already stretched thin — something he’s determined to avoid,” he added. “We’re confident that by working together this year, we can expand access to essential menopause treatment while protecting women from higher bills.”
This post has been updated.
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